Gig-a-Blog™ (Laura Isaacson and Masa Tayama, St Anne & St Agnes)

Laura Isaacson, cello; Masa Tayama, piano: Schumann, Fantasiestücke; Shostakovitch, Sonata in D minor.

Gorgeous playing from this precise, well-matched, well-balanced duo. The Schumann was of course lovely - beautiful singing lines, exciting explosive moments - but the Shosters was positively electrifying. This was an incredibly committed, intense performance which somehow made you feel as if they were taking real risks, really throwing themselves at it, but without any loss of accuracy. I loved it all but in particular I was very taken with the end of the first movement and with the slow movement which was seriously moving and beautiful.

I see that Laura Isaacson started with Wendy Max so I say woo yeah go Wendy.

A really stunning recital to start off the year (season, term, semester?) and hats off to Tayama and Isaacson both for a job more than well done.

Also, come to think of it, very handy to start the year off with a good 'un when you're asking Music Soc members to renew, as it somehow helps facilitate the smooth passage of my money into their coffers. Not, of course, that I mean to imply that such a worldly thought would ever have occurred to the gentle innocent folk in charge there hem hem indeed no.